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A transformative, cohort-based leadership program for extraordinary individuals with an entrepreneurial mindset and a commitment to solving problems of poverty.

Acumen invests in social entrepreneurs across the capital continuum and accompanies them on the journey to create transformational change. At Malaysia Acumen Academy, we identify and prepare these leaders with the hard skills required to build scalable solutions to poverty and the harder skills of moral leadership to re-imagine and build a better world.

We look for individuals who see problems as opportunities, who dare to dream and take action, who are idealistic in their pursuits and grounded in the hard work it takes to get there, who believe that change in the world starts with changing ourselves, and who have the humility to know that none of this is possible going at it alone.

Together with our partner from Asia Philanthropy Circle, we are currently piloting SEA Fellowship in 2024.

A Note From Our HEAD

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“In this increasingly polarised world, we need courageous leaders who have the humility to see the world as it is and the audacity to imagine a world where it could be."

Change work can be long and lonely, but with the Acumen Fellowship, Fellows walk into a community of leaders who are committed to a lifetime of this meaningful work. They support, challenge and grow individually and collectively to solve the problems of poverty and build a world based on dignity.

Wong Xiao Cheng,
Head of Malaysia Acumen Academy

Programme Overview

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We provide the tools and community for leaders to create the change they dare to dream.

The Southeast Asia Acumen Fellowship includes:

7-month Journey

This 7-month journey consists of online learning labs, 2 in-person immerisves, cohort calls, 1:1 coaching and self-paced assignments.

Robust Curriculum

Learn to negotiate across differences, motivate yourself and others, challenge traditional ways of working, and reshape the people, organizations, and systems around you.

Community of Practice

Join a global alumni network of more than 1,600 peers and get access to resources, mentoring, and social and financial capital.

Tools & Skills

Test new skills with your cohort in real time, and build long-lasting peer relationships to support you.

In-Person Immersives & Online Workshops

Our Fellows come together five times a year for 3 in-person immersives lasting 5 days each and 2 online workshops series - 4 weeks each. This enables Fellows to develop a more nuanced knowledge and application of our leadership programme.

Virtual Content

Our unique virtual content uses Acumen Academy’s library of content as well as Acumen’s twenty-year history of training social sector leaders.

A Community of Practice

We provide the space for our Fellows to connect across lines of difference, practice self-reflection, broaden their perspectives and identify areas for professional development.

Focus on Real World Adaptability

Our curriculum is designed to be relevant and applicable to our Fellows' lives and work. Mentoring sessions and motivational programmes are provided for leaders in the social sector, especially those who work on issues of poverty and social injustice.

Our Fellows

Acumen Fellows are social innovators who see the reality around them, yet dare to imagine the world as
it could be. They comprise:

Social Entrepreneurs

Leaders who create impact by co-founding enterprises that provide critical goods and/or services to the disadvantaged and marginalised. These enterprises can be for-profit or non-profit ventures.

Public Sector Leaders

Leaders who create impact by working within the government to create policy changes and partnerships, or adopt new models in tackling poverty and social injustice.

Intrapreneurs

Leaders who create impact from within existing institutions by changing cultures and using resources to tackle poverty and social injustice.

Social Entrepreneurs

Leaders who create impact by co-founding enterprises that provide critical goods and/or services to the disadvantaged and marginalised. These enterprises can be for-profit or non-profit ventures.

Public Sector Leaders

Leaders who create impact by working with the government to create policy changes and partnerships, or to adopt new models in tackling poverty or social injustice.